February 21st, 2017
Translated by: Mercedes A. Hernández Pacheco
Tsubasa Watanabe, Latin American and Economy student, came all the way from Japan to fulfill a dream as an exchange student in UPAEP, today he shares his experience not only in the University, but also his adventures, what he likes the most and the culture differences.
Why did you choose Mexico for your exchange?
After starting University I became very interested in the Latin culture, but Mexico specifically caught my attention because in Japan, my Spanish teacher was Mexican and she always talked about her culture, the places, traditions and food.
What did your parents said to you once you told them that you wanted to come to Mexico?
They thought it was a good idea and said I should take the most advantage of this experience. They also looked concerned because they believed Mexico is quite insecure. Lucky for me, my Mexican friends in Japan told them that was not true as long as I am always aware of my environment and take care of my belongings and never to walk at night on my own. In my experience, Mexico is not a dangerous country, at least not everywhere.
Meanwhile in Mexico…
I am really happy, I have so many stories about Mexico; for example, when I arrived I did not understand anything, I came to Mexico City and I did not know how to get to Puebla, I started asking people to know what to do and they were always very nice, they tried to speak English so I could understand or they would talk to me in Spanish really slow so I could comprehend. This also happens to me in class, they are always helpful, pleasant, kind and friendly.
What image did you have about Mexico?
To be honest, I thought that in Mexico (giggles) people will only drink tequila and eat tacos; men will always be around with sombreros and in horses (giggles)… But no, people walk on the street just like any other (giggles).
What differences do you see between Mexico and Japan?
Totally different and difficult. Mexico City subway station is a big chaos, there is not line; in Japan people will always get out first and the first time here I was very confused. This always happens to me in the bus and in the subway, it is very hard; in Japan there is a designed stop and schedule; when the bus is coming and going, but not in Mexico. To get off the bus is also problematic; there is a switch at the end of the bus and if I am in the middle, I have to walk and excuse myself so many times because people will usually not let me go through.
Do you like Mexican food?
The first time I ate something I did not like it because the food was really spicy and when I just arrived, last August, I had a lot of stomachaches; but nowadays, I cannot eat anything that no longer has hot sauce in it (giggles). When I was in Japan, I used to eat tortillas, but the flavor of the real Mexican tacos it is much different, here definitely are way much more delicious.
I have also tried chicken soup which is also delicious, Arab tacos, pastor tacos, mole poblano and Oaxaca mole and grasshoppers.
What places in Mexico have you visited?
Cholula, Oaxaca, Tijuana and (giggles) it is very interested how I ended up there, nowadays I live with a Mexican family and one of its children live in Tijuana. Therefore, he invited us during the holidays and so we went. However, there is nothing in Tijuana (giggles), the weather is really bad, but I found really interesting how so many people from the United States go there just for a weekend, buy things and then they go back; Mexican people there are always mixing English and Spanish- Spanglish, and their accent is also very different. I have also visited Cuernavaca, it is hot, like Spring, and Tlaxcala where I went with my friends.
Why did you decide to live with a Mexican family?
I used to live in an apartment before with other foreigners, but mostly from the United States, they were always speaking English and I came here to learn Spanish. Living with a Mexican family was the best option in order to learn more about the Mexican culture.
What differences do you find between your home in Japan and here in Mexico?
First, the size! In Japan, my father has an apartment, but it is really small. However, the house where I live in Mexico is much bigger, each person has its own room. Another difference is that here you have a lot of pets like dogs and cats and not in Japan because it is really expensive and the space is limited. In Mexico you go inside the house with shoes and not in Japan; I find that very interesting because even I do not know why we do that; I guess it is because in Japan we like a really clean house a lot and we do not want to get it dirty with the dust and so on. Here, I just got used to no longer take my shoes off.
About people, what can you tell about the Mexicans compared to the Japanese?
People here are very open; they are always giving hugs or kisses for saying hello. In Japan, we are very reserved. We like to get to know the people first, and then we decided whether we get to be friends. For example, here they are always inviting me to their homes, and to Japanese, we do not like to have people in our houses when we barely know you, it is a very intimate space.
Another difference is that here women drink alcohol and in Japan, it is not really well seen if you find a girl drinking beer. In Mexico, people smoke a lot and in Japan not so many.
According to my classes, lectures are smaller; in Japan I had lessons up to 200 people and here if you have a question, you can ask the professor, or even the professor asks you if what he said was understandable. I find this a good thing.
What recommendations will you give to those who wish to go for an exchange to Japan?
Some Mexicans think that Japan is only anime, but no; Japan has a lot of history and culture. Here is West and we are East and I think it will help you to get to know more. I will recommend to go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki because there is a peace park and also to visit Tokyo and Kyoto because there are many temples and history.
There is one recommendation for women, you should not kiss or hug men because they might misunderstand your intentions.
What do you usually do during your weekends with your family?
My host family always takes me to little towns like Cuetzalan, Zacatlán and each town has its own culture as well. During the weekends I also go to Cholula or do some homework.
Tsubasa told us that one experience he is never going to forget was his birthday celebration because it was way much different than in Japan. “Here I had a big party, not only with family but also with very close friends. There was a lot of food too. Something I will always remember.”
ORIGINAL TEXT:
https://www.upress.mx/index.php/opinion/entrevistas/446-tsubasa-mi-vida-en-mexico
